The Body in Cadiz Bay

When fishermen in Cadiz Bay catch the body of a dead frogman in their nets, it raises far more questions than answers, not the least how did the unidentified diver die? Is it possible he was shot with a laser-beam and if he was, who would have such a top-secret weapon? When a sergeant of the Marine division of the Civil Guard is found hanged from a coastal jetty, it seems that Cadiz – and its surrounding Spanish and American naval bases – could be under attack. Fortunately, the unflappable Superintendent Luis Bernal is in Cadiz on very personal business (which involves a balancing act between his religious zealot of a wife and his pregnant mistress) and is ordered to take command of the situation. David Serafin’s crime novels, with their intricate plots, vivid descriptions of Spanish life and meticulous accounts of police procedures have endeared him to readers not only in Britain and America, but also in Spain – a rare compliment to a foreign author. The early Bernal novels, set during ‘The Transition’ from the death of General Franco to the establishment of parliamentary democracy (1975-1982), have recently been republished in new Spanish editions